The present invention relates generally to skid-steer loaders and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for the startup of the hydrostatic transmission used in skid-steer loaders under cold weather conditions.
The connection of a hydrostatic transmission directly to the engine of a skid-steer loader increases the cranking load on the engine starter and, thereby, makes starting more difficult, especially in cold weather. It has been found that the starting problem is potentially most severe on small skid-steer loaders because of the use of smaller engines, less powerful starter motors, etc. A previously known method of improving the startup conditions for small skid-steer loaders in cold weather is to drive the hydrostatic transmission from the engine with a belt drive that can be disengaged during the initial startup of the engine. In cold weather conditions, however, problems can still be encountered when the belt drive between the engine and the hydrostatic transmission is engaged, as the resistance of a cold hydrostatic transmission will have a tendency to kill the engine. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus to improve the starting capabilities of skid-steer loaders in cold weather conditions.